Bangkok’s Makkasan police are in the process of summoning four groups of people for questioning over the holding of the “Miss Grand Samut Sakhon 2021” pageant, at Mirinn Theatre RCA in Huai Khwang district, on June 26th and 27th, for allegedly breaching of terms under which the event was to be held.
13 contestants and their 9 chaperones, as well as Director of the Miss Grand International organizing committee Nawat Issarakraisin, were later found to be infected with COVID-19 and admitted to hospitals for treatment.
Pol Maj-Gen Piya Tavichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said today that the Makkasan police have already questioned Huai Khwang district office and disease control officials about the beauty contest.
The officials allege that the pageant organizing committee had breached the terms for the event, which were jointly agreed between the committee and the district office.
Those to be questioned are the event organizers, the contestants, some members of the audience and the pageant’s licence holder.
Pol Maj-Gen Piya said the police will find out whether there was any bending or breaking of the terms for the organization of the contest, particularly the 20 person limit on the size of the audience, as mandated by the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Disease Control Act.
Samut Sakhon Governor Veerasak Vijitsaengsri earlier claimed that his province had nothing to do with the beauty contest, even though the pageant was named “Miss Grand Samut Sakhon 2021”.
Some of the contestants later complained, via social media, that they wanted to withdraw from the contest due to their concerns over COVID-19, but were warned by event officials that they could face a fine of 60,000 baht, although the fine stipulated in the agreement is much less.
They also complained that they were ordered to remove their face masks during several group activities and the contest itself.
